Integrated reporting to create value in ACCA Qualification

Global 8 Jan 2014

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Most of the elements of integrated reporting were already included in our global syllabus, but we have taken the opportunity to bring them together and IR will form part of our assessment going forward. This is an area where ACCA members can show their leadership for the future, at the heart of long-term value creation for their organisations

—Alan Hatfield, director of learning,ACCA

ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) is the first global accountancy body to introduce integrated reporting into its qualification

Students will be examined on integrated reporting (<IR>) for the first time in the accountancy profession when ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) introduces it into its qualification from December 2014.

This comes as the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) launched its new integrated reporting framework last month (December 2013). IIRC is a global coalition of regulators, investors, companies, standard setters, the accounting profession and NGOs, who have a shared interest in encouraging value creation for the long-term.

Alan Hatfield, director of learning at ACCA, said: 'ACCA has a history of innovation and anticipating trends. We were the first professional accountancy body to examine in IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) and the first, in 2000, to examine on the framework of GRI, the Global Reporting Initiative.

'We continue to enhance our syllabus on a regular basis to ensure that ACCA members are at the forefront of good practice. This means that we can be confident that ACCA members are complete finance professionals, equipped with skills to work in all sectors.

'Most of the elements of integrated reporting were already included in our global syllabus, but we have taken the opportunity to bring them together and IR will form part of our assessment going forward. This is an area where ACCA members can show their leadership for the future, at the heart of long-term value creation for their organisations.

'This change resonates well with ACCA’s core values, such as opportunity, innovation and accountability.'

ACCA has also developed a number of resources to inform members on the implementation and adoption of IR – including webinars and research papers.